Clippers vow to protect Griffin from hard fouls

Last week, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin said he was “sick” of taking so many hard fouls. Saturday, it was Vinny Del Negro and DeAndre Jordan saying they were sick of the criticism that their team isn’t doing enough to protect Griffin.

After Robin Lopez was ejected from Thursday’s game in Phoenix, prominent basketball pundits took the Clippers to task for not making teams pay for hard fouls on Griffin.

“What do all these people think we should do? Do they know the rules?” Del Negro asked. “…Of course, we’re going to do whatever we can to protect Blake or any player, but there’s also a time and place to do it. You can only get so many technical fouls. …It’s up to the league to step in to put enough suspensions and fines on people when it happens.”

Jordan bristled at the notion that the Clippers aren’t putting enough deterrents in place to keep Griffin from taking hard fouls.

“If he gets fouled, I can’t go punch somebody in the nose. I can’t do that,” Jordan said. “But throughout the course of the game, other fouls happen to other players on the other team. If they happen to be hard fouls, they happen to be hard fouls.

“We’re going to protect our teammates, no matter who it is.”

For Jordan, the frustration stems from plays that seem to be outside the realm of basketball.

“I feel like people are intentionally trying to hurt him,” Jordan said. “It’ll all come back around.”

Del Negro and the Clippers do send tapes to the NBA league offices from time to time, but so far this season, only New Orleans’ Jason Smith has been suspended for a foul on Griffin.

Smith is expected to start at center for the Hornets on Sunday against the Clippers. Griffin said he won’t be seeking retaliation for Smith’s open-court shoulder check.

“We’re playing for something. We’re trying to get a win. …That’s the last thing on my mind.”